River City Lights
2021 — Richmond, VA/US
Duo Interpretation (Dramatic and Humorous)
Event Description:
Purpose of Contest: To encourage and increase appreciation of dramatic literature and to communicate to the audience its emotional and intellectual content with spontaneity, directness, and clarity, clearly suggesting the characters and personality of two or more persons in literature.
Contest Regulations:
1. Each duo team must present one selection chosen from a single published work. Selections from the Internet must appear on the Approved List of Online Sources. The selection may not have been written by the student or about his or her own experiences. No team may use a selection, adaptation, or cutting that either member of the duo team has used in a regional, super-regional, or state contest in a previous year. Contestant must present the same selection in each round of a given tournament.
2. Each interpreter may present one or more characters and either or both may present narration.
3. A selection must maintain the author’s intent, characters, and words as written, except for minor use in transitions, unless written permission is granted by the author or publisher for modification and/or adaptation of the published work.
4. The use of a manuscript is prohibited. 5. The performers may not have eye or physical contact with each other except during the introduction, and should focus off stage. The performers must begin their presentation from center stage and restrict their physical blocking to movement around one another, switching positions, pivoting from side to side or turning around completely. No properties or costumes are permitted. Note: with increased movement now permitted, blocking with even the appearance of eye contact is strongly discouraged.
6. The timing for this event shall be a maximum of 10 minutes, with no minimum time requirement. Adjudicators will not provide time signals, and students may not time themselves. Any entry which exceeds the established time limit by more than 30 seconds may not rank first or score highest in the round.
7. In a humorous duo interpretation, the material may contain serious tones, but the climax and resolution must be of a humorous nature. In a serious duo interpretation, the material may contain humorous tones, but the climax and resolution must be of a serious dramatic nature.